Steam trap



Jan. l, 1924 T. G. RAKESTRAW STEAM TRAP Filed Feb. 27. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 @umilflj Jan. 1, 1924 1,479,556 1'. G. RAKEsTRAw STEAM TRAP Filed Feb. 27. 1922 3 ShBStS-Sheet 2 Gua Jan. 1, 1924 1,479,555

T. G. RAKESTRAW STEAM TRAP Filed Feb. 27, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @u mi @Wemag Patented Jan. l, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS G. RAKESTRAW, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 RICHARD O. BRAN- DENBURG AND RALPH S. MOORE, BOTH 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

STEAM TRAP.

Application led February 2'?, 1922. Serial No. 539,400.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs G. RAKE- s'rnkiv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county ot 1iiVaync and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Steam Trap, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to water circulating traps such as are employed in connection with steam power systems.

The general object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will automatically function to collect the water of condensation from a steam circulating line and deliver such Water back to the boiler, and the particular object oi the present invention is to simplify and reduce the number of parts commonly required and to generally improve the construction and enhance the el'liciency in operation of that type of trap; employing tiltable twin tanks for alternatively controlling the ad mission and discharge of the steam and Water.

In attaining these objects the invention contemplates the elimination of the usual independent valve sets and fittings for the respective tanks, by combining and embodying in a unitary or single valve structure means affording a pivotal support for the tiltable tanks, and also for establishing a common control for the admission and discharge of steam and water alternately to and from said tanks respectively, whereby the number of fittings, Working joints and packings usually required are materially reduced and liability to disarrangement ol parts and leakage is correspondingly lessened.

A preferred embodiment oi the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in which,

ig. 1 is a central transverse vertical sectional vievv of the device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view taken on dashed line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on dashed line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on dashed line i-4: of Fig. 1.

Referring to the parts of the device as shown on the drawings, l indicates a rectangular supporting base having spaced upright brackets 2 at opposite ends respectively, and

ixedly secured to extend at opposite ends respectively through said brackets is a hollow elongated cylindrical valve body 3 haw ing a centrally enlarged cylindrical portion l forming a valve chamber therein. Said chamber is divided into separate upper and lower Water and steam compartments 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively, by an off-center vertical partition 9 intersected by a central horizontal partition 10, which latter partition extends to the closed end Walls of the valve body 3 and divides the interior thereof into separate upper and lower Water and steam passages 5', 6', 7 and 8 respectively communicating With corresponding compartments of said valve chamber.

The peripheral wall of the compartment 5 is provided with oppositely disposed bridged water ports 5, and the outer end oi the passage 5 is connected through the valve body 3 with a Water inlet pipe 11 leading to a suitable source of supply, usually the water oi condensation from a steam circulating system (not shown), and the compartment 6 is similarly provided with Water ports 6a through which and the passage 6 water is admitted to a delivery pipe 12 connected to the corresponding end of said valve body and adapted to extend to a steam boiler (not shown) or other point of delivery. The upper steam compartment 7 is provided in alineinent With the ports 5 with opposed ports Tt, which communicate through the passage T with a vent or exhaust pipe 18 connected to the corresponding end of the valve body and opening to the atmosphere, and the lower steam co1npartment 8 has opposed ports 8a slightly staggered out ol alinemeut with the ports 6*'L or controlling the delivery of live steam through the passage 8 from a steam pipe 14, which is connected therewith through the end of the valve body and extends to a steam boiler (not shown) or other source of steam pressure. (See Fig. 4).

Embracing the end portions of the valve body between the uprights 2 and the valve chamber are bearing bushings l5, and rotatively embracing said valve chamber and the adjacent ends of said bushings, to oscillate thereon, is a valve casing 16 formed with a removable end closure 16 and having each end provided with a stuffing-box bearing 17 for establishing close working conneetions to prevent leakage between said ends and the valve body. Said casing is lined interiorly with a bearing sleeve 1S, and inserted in parallel recesses in the periphery of the valve chamber upon opposite sides of the ports therein are packing strips 19 which yieldably engage the inner tace ot' said sleeve to prevent leakage between said ports, and there is also a packing ring :20 inserted in a peripheral groove in line with the partition 9 to prevent leakage between the steam and water compartments ol? said chamber. (See Figs. l and Formed through the sleeve l5 and wall ot the valve easing are diametrically opposite ports 2l adapted to register alternatively with the ports 5a and 6 upon respective sides of the water compartments 5 and 6 ol the valve chamber. Said ports Qi communicate respectively through oppositely extending passages 2:2 formed jointly in opposed integral extensions ot the valve case connected Twith up-turned pipe elbows 24 and upon which twin cylindrical tanks are respectively mounted through the bottom by like pipe nipples 2li for the admission ot' water to and from said tanks and Vvalve upon oscillatory movement et said valve casing. Ports L7 are also oppositely formed in the valve easing to communicate alternatively with the ports 7 and 8 upon respective sides of the steam compartments T and and said ports 27 are each connected at corresponding sides ot the valve ease with a corresponding tank 25 by a pipe extension 28 having a coupling connection 29 with the top oi' said tank for the alternate admission of live stream thereto and the exhaust ot air and used stream therefrom. (See Figs. l and 3).

Mounted upon each side of the base l, in line with the corresponding elbow extension 24 of the valve easing, is an upright dashpot comprising a cylinder 3l) containing a hollenv piston Ill ported Jfor the admission oi* oil from said cylinder, and which is normally vieldably stressed outwardly ot the cylinder by a coiled spring il?. interposed between said piston and cylinder. The pistons of said dash-pots are adapted io engage said extensions to cheek and limit the oscillatory movement ot s 1d valve casing, and the iension of the springs is such as lo impart thereto a partial return movement to elleet the automatic closing of certain ot' the steam ports1 as will be hereinafter described.

It will now be understood that in the operation ot the trap the two tanks are alternatively tilled with water, and the water is alternativelyv forced out of the tanks through the admission alternatively thereto of steam under pressu1'e,and that the admission and discharge of both the steam and water are automatically controlled in common through the actuation of the unitary valve structure by the oscillation oi the tanks. The operations in the oscillations ot the tanks, and the control ot' the ports of the valve are such that when one tank is l'illing With Water the opposite tank is caused to discharge as follows:

Vhen the valve casing is in the position shown in Fig. l, water admitted by the 'feed pipe ll to the passage 5 and compartment 5 ot' the valve chamber will llow through the registering ports 5"" and 2i, and through the passage 22 and pipe connection 26 into the corresponding tank 25, and While said tank is lilling the contents of the other tank Will be caused to discharge through its pipe connection 26, passage 22, the registering ports :2l and 6" of the compartment 6 ot' the valve chamber and through the passage 6 and delivery pipe l2 to the boiler or other point ot' delivery. ln this described position ot the water controlling ports the steam ports of the valve Will be positioned as shown in Fig. 3, in Which steam under pressure in the supply pipe 14, passage 8 and compartment :i will have been admitted through the registering ports 8 and 2i', and through the pipe connections 528-29 into the top of the tank discharging for setting up pressure. therein to torce such discharge, while the tank tilling with water Will be vented and relieved of any accumulated air or steam pressure which may discharge back through the inlet pipe connections ZS-29 ot' said tank, and out through the registering ports 2T and 7a of the coinpartinent 7 ot' the valve chamber and through the passage T and exhaust pipe 13 to the atmosphere.

Then the l'illing tank shall have accumulated sutlieient `Weight to overhalance the discharging tank,y it will swing downwardly engaging the extension 2l ol' the valve ease with the piston of the corresponding dashpot, which under the force ot' the impact will recede in checking the rotative movement ot the valve ease through which the ports will be shifted to establish communication with the corresponding tank in opposite order to that described. As the weight of the tank upon the piston ol the dash-pot is lessened by the discharge ot' the water and the spring urging said piston outwardly overcomes the load of the emptying tank`r aid piston will impart a sullieienl reverse rotative movement to the valve casing as will effect the closing ot the ports 8" and 2,7 to cut oll the steam pressure to the discharging tank and prevent the loss ot steam through the Water passages following the emptying of said tank. AIt Will be noted that the slight movement of the valve ease necessary to close the port 8, which is so positioned as to artly cover the port 27 when the other reg1stering steam and Water ports of the valve are in full open position, will not be sullieient to cut oli' the established llo lid

communication through such ports which will continue to function in partially closed positions.

The requirement for the installation of traps of this character in steam circulating systems is well understood by those familiar With the art, and will not require description further than to state that it is essential to position the trap at such an elevation to the boiler to be served as will insure the delivery of the Water thereto by gravity under balanced pressure with that of the boiler.

Wlhat I claim is:

l. A steam. trap comprising a base` a hollow elongated valve body iixedly mounted on said base and having a plurality of separated passages therein, a valve casing journaled to oscillatc on said valve body and ha ving ports registrablc With certain oi said passages in oscillatcd positions of said casing, a pair of tanks mounted directly on said casing to oscillate the same and having passages controlled in common by said ports to communicate therethrough with certain ol" the passages of said valve body in limiting positions oi oscillation of said casing, and cushioningl means limiting the oscillating movement oit said casing and reacting to impart ievcise movement thereto to effect the closing of certain of said ports` and passages.

i?. A steam trap comprising a pair of tanks having inlet and outlet passages, a unitary oscillatory valve structure mounting said 4tanks and having ports controlling communication With said passages in common through oscillatory movement imparted by said tanks, and a spring pressed plunger yieldably engageablc with said valve structure to limit movement thereof and reacting to impart movement thereto for closing certain of said ports.

8. A steam trap comprising a stationary elongated hollow valve body having a plurality of divided passages communicating with a centrally enlarged cylindrical chamber, said chamber having opposed pairs of ports communicating with respective passages, a valve casing embracing said cylindrical chamber and journaled to oscillate on said valve body, said casing having opposed pairs of ports registrable alternatively with corresponding opposite ports of the respective passages of said body and having opposed hollow extensions forming passages for the corresponding ports of said casing, a tank mounted on each extension in communication with the passage thereof, and a pipe extension from each of said tanks communicating with opposite ports of said casing and corresponding passages of said valve body for establishing circulation through said tanks and passages alternatively with oscillations oi said casing.

4. A steam trap comprising a stationary elongated hollow valve body having a plurality ot' divided passages communicating with a centrally enlarged cylindrical chamber, said chamber having opposed pairs of ports communicating with respective passages, a valve casing embracing said cylindrical chamber and iournaled to oscillate on said valve body said casing having opposed pairs of ports registrable alternatively with corresponding opposite ports of the respective passages of said body and having opposed hollow extensions forming passages t'or the corresponding ports oiLl said casing. a tank mounted on each extension in communication with the passage thereof, a pipe extension from each of said tanks communicating with opposite ports of said casing and corresponding passages of said valve body for establishing circulation through said tanks and passages alternatively with oscillations of said casing, and yieldable means limiting oscillatory movement ol' said casing and reactive to impart movement thereto to cut oli' circulation through certain of said passages.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

THQMAS G. RAKESTRAV. 

